Unencrypted stolen laptop costs Lifespan more than $1M

Rhode Island-based Lifespan Health System will pay $1,040,000 to settle a potential HIPAA violation after an employee’s MacBook laptop, containing sensitive patient information, was stolen. The investigation also revealed that Lifespan had not implemented proper encryption measures for its devices. Lifespan will also be subject to two years of monitoring as part of a corrective action plan. This incident highlights the ongoing issue of healthcare organizations failing to encrypt their devices.